Neal Ronaghan
While the multiplayer might not be something that stays populated, the leaderboards do a great job of extending the experience beyond the campaign. And also the terse challenge of the bonus chapters and weekly challenges adds to the fun. It's a (marble) blast to see this come together as well as it does.
You could wind up with a losing first season but end up with a first-ballot Hall of Famer when their career is over. Or this could turn out to be a bust and get the head coach fired. Only time will tell because there is a lotta ballgame left.
This is the platonic ideal for an entry-level platformer because it is filled with smartly designed gameplay that takes well-worn tropes and makes them more approachable for everyone while still providing a nice romp for those experienced with these types of games. If you're a parent who wishes your child would cut the crap and start playing Symphony of the Night with you, maybe start them here and then work your way up to fighting Dracula with some pit stops like Ori and Guacamelee along the way. Here's hoping the quality of this game leads to the Quackshot remake of my dreams.
Hyper Meteor rocks as it succeeds at being a fun arcade high-score chaser with a lot of good vibes and enjoyable details. Even if you only put a few hours into it exploring each mode and visual flourish, it's still a worthwhile game. But if you go down the rabbit hole of chasing high scores, you'll be rocketing into meteors for days.
Super Mega Baseball 4, like its predecessors, has become the new standard for arcade sports games upon its release. Metalhead Software has refined near perfection over the past few years and I'm in love with the lineup of MLB Legends and the new addition of Shuffle Draft.
I'm thrilled that Etrian Odyssey exists beyond the DS and 3DS, but what we got doesn't hit the highs of the series. Atlus admirably tried to make it work on Switch, but the controls for drawing your map aren't as natural as they were on DS and 3DS. Etrian Odyssey II is still a great video game, with a really good progression through each stratum and a lot of depth and synergies between the classes and abilities. My hope is that if Etrian Odyssey survives beyond this dungeon crawl, the next release will be more future-focused than porting over the past.
I truly believe it stands tall among the best of the entire Final Fantasy series, carving its own distinct path with the refined job system. The Pixel Remaster is as close to a definitive release as we've had of Final Fantasy V in the west so far. I do wish I didn't have to offer a handful of caveats, but this is still a good version of an all-time great.
I love the music and the style. If you've never played the original Final Fantasy before, the experience and money boosts make it easy to experience without the grind. This is a good enough release of Final Fantasy and for that I recommend it, but I wish this could have been the slam-dunk definitive version.
Trinity Trigger still scratches a specific itch very well. This Mana-inspired game brings the three-player co-op fun back from the Super Nintendo era, but now without the need for a Multitap. This is a good romp for a single player, but it is best suited for a pair or a trio who want to traipse through a fantasy world slaying foes and finding treasure chests. This won't rival the highs of action RPGs, but it's an adventure well worth playing.
You can get deep into the details with hardcore simulation play, especially with the improved in-game UI that gives you a cleaner readout on the specifics of your pitch or swing. You can also flip the game to casual and just sit back and relax, ripping some dingers and striking some dudes out. Or you can toss out the idea of playing full games and just experience history in the incredible Negro League Storylines mode. Even if the visuals border on being potato quality, this game rocks on Switch.
I played Kirby's Return to Dream Land on Wii at launch and over the years, it's never been a high-ranking game on my personal list of Kirby games. After playing through it on Switch, that's changed, though partially because of the smart updates and changes made in the new version. Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe is the best 2D Kirby I've ever played, combining a lot of the side-scrolling entries' best elements into a heck of a total package that works as both a single-player adventure and a delightful co-op journey.
If you're looking for more Picross on Switch that's more than just your standard issue Jupiter releases, Tents & Trees is amazing, making for a novel twist on a logic puzzle game staple. With the excellent style and the ample daily puzzles, this is one I'll be revisiting for a long time.
If you're looking for a DC superhero game that relies more on arcadey gameplay, whimsical callbacks, and a playful atmosphere, Justice League Cosmic Chaos is incredible. I had a great time playing through this, both by myself roaming around Happy Harbor trying to save the day while getting distracted by side quests and in co-op with my kid in the smart Instant Action mode. With the bar raised for future games from Outright Games, here's hoping that Cosmic Chaos is the start of a new era for kid-oriented licensed games.
It's a good thing the story of Meg's Monster is engaging because even if the gameplay cleverly ties into the narrative, it doesn't amount to much. As long as your expectations are managed and you're expecting something closer to a visual novel than a JRPG, Meg's Monster should be an enjoyable read as long you're ready for some bittersweet emotion.
However, if you really enjoyed Octopath Traveler and want a better, improved version of the combat and overall exploration, Octopath Traveler II will deliver that in spades. This is a strong RPG that I enjoyed my time with, but it's not a bold new step forward. Instead, it moderately iterates on an enjoyable formula to good success.
It's a creative attempt at mixing up the formula for the series. It's just an attempt that didn't land as well for me as I had hoped. Here's to Jupiter continuing to creatively iterate on Picross while also returning to the old style and giving us a new allotment of traditional puzzles every now and then.
This is a game with a lot of heart that I kept wanting to explore even with its messier aspects. If you're looking for a farm sim mixed with a JRPG or a JRPG mixed with a farm sim, this is perfect for you. And if you go into it with the right mindset, you'll enjoy the relaxing stroll of this world and its gameplay.
I'm happy to have experienced Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song Remastered. It's based off of a PlayStation 2 game I was always curious about and the fact it's now out on modern platforms is awesome. This might not be my favorite SaGa entry (I think that would go to Romancing SaGa 3 or Scarlet Grace?), but it's another fine entry in a franchise that is well represented on Switch. Whether you're hooting and hollering for Unlimited SaGa to make it to Switch next year or you're a newcomer to the legacy of producer Akitoshi Kawazu, Minstrel Song Remastered is an enjoyable adventure as long as you come prepared for some open-ended RPG escapades.
As an interactive timeline and a virtual exhibit, Atari 50 is unparalleled. No other historical collection comes close to how awesome this is as a context-rich story (the only ones that do are also from the same developer). I hope that this style of giving historical context and not just presenting a list of 40-year-old games without any explanation is the trend going forward for packages like this. Even if I'm not chomping at the bit to play some RealSports Football, I'm thrilled that I now know its place in the grand history of Atari.
It's a shame because the idea of The Pinball Wizard is neat, but the execution and longevity make it a game that faded away before it got truly interesting. Maybe it's worth it for the cute visuals, but even that doesn't stave off the lack of variety.